IBM 12.1(22)EA6 - Manual (Page 221)

11-9
Cisco Systems Intelligent Gigabit Ethernet Switch Modules for the IBM BladeCenter, Software Configuration Guide
24R9746
Chapter 11 Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features
Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features
Figure 11-8 Root Guard in a Service-Provider Network
Understanding Loop Guard
You can use loop guard to prevent alternate or root ports from becoming designated ports because of a
failure that leads to a unidirectional link. This feature is most effective when it is configured on the entire
switched network.
You can enable this feature by using the spanning-tree loopguard default global configuration
command.
When the switch is operating in PVST+ or rapid-PVST+ mode, loop guard prevents alternate and root
ports from becoming designated ports, and spanning tree does not send BPDUs on root or alternate ports.
When the switch is operating in MST mode, BPDUs are not sent on nonboundary ports only if the port
is blocked by loop guard in all MST instances. On a boundary port, loop guard blocks the port in all MST
instances.
Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features
These sections describe how to configure optional spanning-tree features:
• Default Optional Spanning-Tree Configuration, page 11-10
• Optional Spanning-Tree Configuration Guidelines, page 11-10
• Enabling Port Fast, page 11-10 (optional)
• Enabling BPDU Guard, page 11-11 (optional)
• Enabling BPDU Filtering, page 11-12 (optional)
• Enabling UplinkFast for Use with Redundant Links, page 11-13 (optional)
• Enabling BackboneFast, page 11-14 (optional)
• Enabling EtherChannel Guard, page 11-15 (optional)
Customer network
Potential
spanning-tree root without
root guard enabled
Enable the root-guard feature
on these interfaces to prevent
switches in the customer
network from becoming
the root switch or being
in the path to the root.
Desired
root switch
Service-provider network
43578